“For some countries, it is no exaggeration to describe the situation as an impending disaster; a disaster for health, for society, and most of all for national economies.

WHO report findings

Almost 6m people die from tobacco use each year

By 2020, this will increase to 7.5m, 10% of all global deaths

3.2m die each year from a lack of exercise, at least 2.8m from obesity and 2.5m from alcohol

“Chronic noncommunicable diseases deliver a two-punch blow to development. They cause billions of dollars in losses of national income, and they push millions of people below the poverty line, each and every year.”

The WHO said many of the deaths could be prevented by introducing policies such as promoting healthier diets and stronger smoking legislation.